Beneath the Moon
by Vopi
Summary: A missing telescope is only the beginning of Link's troubles. Quick Link x Tetra one shot written for Across the Fandom  see summary for details


_A/N- __This one-shot is part of a Zelda-community project by a few authors here on FF to write every possible Zelda pairing. Check out **Across the Fandom** by (though there are many works by other authors, she organized it). This story was originally posted there, but I figured I would post it here as well to drum up more attention for it as well as give you guys a preview. This is my pairing: Link and Tetra. Enjoy!_

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><p>Beneath the Moon<p>

The ship plodded along steadily along over the Great Sea. The crew and its captain looked out over the endless expanse of water surrounding them in all directions; there was no sign of land anywhere in sight. Nonetheless, Senza faithfully guided the ship over the gentle waves of the vast ocean, keeping steady on course to an unknown destination.

The ship was alive with activity as everyone went through their daily chores. Tetra walked confidently among her crew ensuring everything was orderly and barking orders when necessary. Zuko kept his signature position as lookout on the crow's nest. Senza manned the helm. Nudge stood guard over the captain's room as always, while Mako took inventory of their food and supplies. Gonzo busied himself preparing lunch for the crew, and Niko complained in the corner as he washed every piece of dirty pirate clothing on the ship. Everyone was doing their role to some degree, but something still seemed to be missing.

Tetra smirked as she heard the stomping of someone rushing up from below deck. The cabin door swung open and a certain blonde young man burst outside. His wide eyes betrayed his panic.

"Hey, Zelda, have you seen my telescope? You know…the one Aryll gave me?"

Tetra folded her hands and lowered her brows. "I told you not to call me that."

Link's face reddened. "Oh right, sorry Tetra. I keep forgetting."

The pirate captain just sighed. "Whatever." She shrugged her shoulders. "What makes you think I'd know where you put your stuff? Did you ask the rest of the crew?"

Link's voice softened. "Well…no."

She rolled her eyes. "Then how about you ask them first? It's not my job to babysit your stuff. Who knows…maybe Niko mixed it in with the dirty laundry."

Link's eyes widened with horror. The captain had to stifle a chuckle. His face was always so expressive.

"Oh Goddesses! I hope not! I better go check." The hero of winds quickly replied. He turned in Niko's direction.

Tetra grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around before he got too far. "Not so fast." She handed him a mop leaning against the cabin. "You still haven't swabbed the decks."

The hero's face soured. "Oh come on, Tetra, I just did it yesterday."

She crossed her arms. "Am I the captain or are you?"

"You are," he replied, making no effort to hide his annoyed tone. He yanked the mop from her and began searching for a bucket.

She punched him playfully on the shoulder and smirked. "Good. I'm glad we're clear on that. Maybe when we start calling you Captain Link, then you can make Niko do all your chores."

He leaned on his mop and looked at her through slitted eyes. "And what are you going to do?"

She shrugged her shoulders and laughed. "Important pirate stuff. Now start swabbing if you want to find that telescope." The pirate captain left him, humming some strange tune as she headed towards her quarters. Link waited until the door shut behind her before voicing his discontent.

"I will never understand that woman," the Hero of Winds sighed as he scanned the deck of the ship for a suitable bucket. He could hear Niko's grumbling a short ways away so he walked over to pay a visit.

The lowly pirate's face and clothes were soaked full of suds as he grudgingly dunked a pair of Gonzo's shorts in and out of the bucket. He turned them over to examine them, throwing the shorts into a large pile to his side when he was satisfied. He reached for another one but looked up when he heard Link approaching.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite swabbie? Come to help me out?" Niko said excitedly as he tossed him one of Zuko's dirty shorts. Link sidestepped and let the dirty laundry land behind him, deflating some of the underling's previous excitement. "Guess not, huh?"

Link chuckled to himself. "Sorry Niko, Tetra's having me swab the decks again."

Niko sighed and looked despondently at the looming pile he still had to wash. "Well, wanna' trade jobs?"

The hero's face grimaced. "No, I think I'll keep mine. I was just wondering if you were done using the bucket."

The pirate swabbie pushed the pale full of suds towards him. "Go ahead. I could use a break anyways."

Soapy water splashed out of the container as Link grabbed it by the handle. He was about to lift it when something else struck his mind. "Say, Niko, have you seen my telescope anywhere? It didn't get mixed in with the pile, did it?"

"I don't know, swabbie. But feel free to check for yourself."

The hero's face soured. "I think I'll take your word for it. I'll return the bucket when I'm done."

"Say swabbie," Niko called out. Link turned around to respond. "Why do you get special treatment? I've been here longer than you and I'm still at the bottom of the ladder."

Link shrugged his shoulders and smiled innocently. "I'm not the one who gave away the bait bag and the ship's supply of bombs."

Niko occupied himself by pretending to dry some clothes. "Oh right. I forgot about that."

The hero chuckled to himself and carried the bucket to his station. He'd done this job so many times that he knew he'd be finished in no time. As he dipped the mop into the bucket and spread it across the floor, the hero contented himself to listen to the rhythmic slopping of the ocean waves against the hull of the ship. Gulls cried out from the sky as he worked, circling around the ship from the lofty sky. The sun warmed the skin beneath his hero's tunic. He took off the cap and let the wind ruffle his scraggly hair. He inhaled the smell of salt with a deep breath and let out a contented sigh. As much as he complained about this job, it really wasn't that bad.

After an hour, he beamed proudly at the finished product. The wood was shiny enough to reflect the bright rays of the noon sun overhead.

Link had just returned the bucket to Niko when the cabin door burst open. Charging through the opening with lunch in hand was none other than Gonzo. The two collided, but the mass of the more experienced pirate sent the hero to the ground. The plates nearly came out of Gonzo's hands, but some fancy handwork and quick rebalancing saved them.

"Hey Shrimp! Why don't you watch where you're going, yeah? I nearly dropped the food 'cause of you." Gonzo glared at him.

Link quickly jumped to his feet. "Sorry Gonzo, didn't expect you to come out so fast. I was just looking for my telescope. Have you seen it?"

Gonzo checked the sandwiches quickly to ensure they were unaffected. "How would I know? Did you ask Miss Tetra?"

Link shook his head. "She didn't have time."

Gonzo lowered a plate towards Link. "And neither do I. Now take a sandwich already. Others are waiting for food, yeah?"

"Gonzo, what's going on out here? What's with all the noise?" Tetra's voice called out from inside the cabin. She quickly came out, crossing her arms with an expectant gaze at the two before her.

"Oh, Miss Tetra, nothing happened. This shrimp nearly made me lose all our lunch." Gonzo quickly said, his cheeks turning a hint of red and his gaze directing to the ground. "But I saved it, yeah."

Link shrugged his shoulders. "It was an accident."

Tetra sighed. "You know, Gonzo, Link does have a name. You might want to start using it since he _is_ part of our crew." She eyed the sandwiches. "Now give me something to eat. I'm famished."

Gonzo snapped back to reality and quickly lowered the plate to her level. "I used the best spices I could find on the ship, Miss Tetra. I know you'll like them."

The ship captain eyed the plate until she spotted a few that caught her fancy. She quickly stuffed one in her mouth and kept another in her hand for later. Gonzo and Link watched in astonishment as she scarfed down her first sandwich whole.

"These _are_ good, Gonzo." Tetra complimented, quickly licking her fingers. "Has the rest of the crew been fed?"

The large man shook his head. "Not yet, Miss Tetra."

"Then you should probably go do that," she suggested. Her first mate quickly nodded and took off for another part of the ship. Tetra turned her attention to Link, who was savoring the taste of his sandwich with smaller nibbles.

"So Link, I'm guessing you finished swabbing duty if you're just standing there. Any luck finding your telescope?"

The hero slowly shook his head. "Not yet. Why? Did you find it?"

The pirate captain smirked. "Well, actually, I was thinking of putting you on watch duty tonight, so you'll probably need it." She paused. "You can always ask Zuko to borrow his, but I doubt you'll get very far."

The hero's eyes widened. "Watch duty? But I've never done that before. Why me?"

Tetra folded her arms and leaned to the side. "Well, Zuko needs sleep, and I'm not going to do it." She smirked. "I guess if you're too scared, I can always have Niko do it. I just thought you would enjoy the adventure."

Link scowled at her. "Fine, I'll do it."

She gave him one of her signature winks. "Thanks for volunteering. Good luck finding your telescope."

The pirate took a bite of her other sandwich and ducked back into the main cabin. Link curled his hand into a fist to vent his growing frustration. Under normal circumstances, the request wouldn't bother him. However, Aryll's telescope meant a lot to him, and Tetra was making the situation more difficult than it needed to be.

The hero took a deep breath and let his frustration pass. His fingers slowly loosened as he looked to the crow's nest where Zuko made his home. As he thought about Tetra's suggestion, he decided it was worth a try.

A few minutes and several ladder rungs later, Link found himself atop the crow's nest in Zuko's domain. The wind was stronger up there, and he had to hold onto his hat to prevent from losing it. The watchman didn't even seem to notice his presence as he stared out into the horizon through his telescope.

"Nice view out here, isn't it?" Link ventured.

"Yah," the short man answered, not breaking his staring contest with the ocean.

"That telescope must really come in handy."

"Yup."

Link fumbled with his hands for a bit. The watchman hadn't even turned to look at him. Maybe he was wasting his time…but he had to try.

"Say Zuko…"

"Yah?"

"Do you think I could borrow your telescope tonight? For watch duty?"

"Nope." Not even a slight pause.

"Are you sure?"

"Yup."

"Okay. Thanks anyways," Link said as he began to climb down the ladder. "I guess I'll just try and find mine."

"Yup."

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><p>Link found himself atop the crow's nest again only a few hours later when the sun finally retreated beneath the horizon and the moon took its place in the heavens. The cool night air combined with the stronger wind chilled his skin, so he brought a small blanket with him to keep warm for the night. He was amazed at how peaceful and quiet it was alone up there. The rhythmic groaning of the ship and the splashing of the waves against the side of the boat provided a stark contrast to the shouting of the crew during the day. The pale, full moon provided ample light for him to see. The lunar light sparkled over the now dark ocean, providing the hero an eerie but mysteriously beautiful spectacle to behold. The wind enjoyed toying with his widow's peak. It tugged and pulled, but the hair still stayed attached to the Hylian's head.<p>

"Wish I had my telescope to enjoy this," the hero lamented as he leaned against the railing and stared out towards the endless waters.

Despite his best efforts, no one seemed to know where Aryll's telescope was. He had searched every corner of the ship he could and asked the entire crew. The hero tried to prevent himself from dwelling on the loss. Still, it was the last memento he had of Outset.

Link's ears perked as he heard the soft thumping of wood. Someone was climbing the ladder. But who? He shifted his position to get a better look.

Before long, Tetra's head peeked up from the top of the ladder. Her lips curled into an amused grin when she saw the surprise on the hero's face. "Hoy Link. You're not sleeping on the job, are you?"

The hero rolled his eyes and turned back to look at the ocean. "No, Tetra. Why? Are you here to give me more work?"

The pirate captain hoisted herself onto the crow's nest. "Actually, I came to bring you a present." She held out something in her hands. "Looking for this?"

Link turned his head to look and his eyes widened. "My telescope!" He grasped for it but Tetra pulled her hand away. "Where did you find it?"

She exaggerated the motion of shrugging her shoulders. "It was lying somewhere around the ship. I don't really remember where…I just picked it up." She tapped her chin pensively with her free hand. "You know…it could be considered _mine_ since I did find it on _my_ ship."

The hero glared at her. "Tetra!"

The pirate captain folded her arms and winked at him. "Relax. I'm just kidding." She offered the telescope to him again. He hesitated for a moment before finally accepting it from her.

Link rotated the device in his hands. "Say, Tetra, why are you out here so late anyways? I thought you said you wanted sleep."

The wind was starting to affect the pirate so she held her arms close to her body. She began to shiver ever so slightly. "Well, I tried but I couldn't really fall asleep. I knew you were out here so I figured you'd want some company. But I can see when I'm not wanted." Tetra began to head for the ladder. She hid a sly smile when Link called after her.

"Wait…Tetra. I didn't mean it like that." She could hear the hesitation in his voice as he selected his words carefully. If only she could see the uncertainty in his expression. "I guess some company would be nice."

She turned around and smirked at him. "Will you let me use your telescope?"

Link quickly clutched the telescope close to his chest but smirked nonetheless. "Only if you promise to give it back."

She pretended to deliberate. "Let me think about it and I'll get back to you."

Link chuckled and finally extended the telescope to its full length. When he put it to his eye, the entire horizon came alive. As he looked to the sky, layers upon layers of stars surfaced that he couldn't see before. It was like looking into a collage of tiny white pearls placed in a deep ocean of blue. The sight truly made him fall and insignificant.

Tetra walked up and leaned against the railing beside him. She had to smile to herself as she observed the way the hero handled the telescope like a small and delicate animal.

"You ever stargaze, Tetra?" Link asked as the starry night sky continued to fascinate him.

The pirate captain raised her brows. "You kidding me? All the time. How do you think we navigate?"

Link shrugged his shoulders. "But just for fun?"

This time her response was a little slower. Her eyes dropped to the ground. "Well, not as much. I mean…pirates don't really do stuff like that."

The hero offered her the telescope. "Well, there's a first time for everything. See if can find the constellation that looks like a Bic Octo."

She looked at his offer hesitantly. Her hand slowly reached for it but then paused midair. Link nodded in encouragement, and her confident demeanor returned. She swiped it from his hand and placed the lens in front of her eye. "I'll find it faster than you."

They quickly lost track of time as the evening wind carried their laughter over the waters. The pair took turns identifying known constellations in the sky and imagining new ones. One looked like a rough outline of Gonzo, while another looked like the incredibly weird fish man, and one even resembled the legendary Hero of Time himself, as they had seen depicted in the statue beneath the waves. After a while, they sat on the wooden nest to relieve their weary feet. They sat in silence for several moments until Tetra began to shiver from the chilly gusts of wind blowing by the crow's nest.

Link unwrapped the blanket he'd been using and draped it over her shoulders. "There. That should help."

She looked at him in surprise. "But what about you?"

The hero shrugged his shoulders. "I've had it long enough." He beamed innocently. "I would've given it up sooner had I known you needed it."

Her face scrunched into a pout. "I never said I needed it." She slowly dropped her gaze to her knees and let a soft smile curl onto her lips. "But I do appreciate the gesture."

The two gazed at the luminescent orb hanging in the sky. Its radiance seemed more intense than they remembered, but its beauty was mesmerizing. The moon's silver light combined with the rhythmic crashing of the wave was truly trance inducing.

"Link?" Tetra's voice broke the silence.

"Yah?" The hero responded cheerfully.

There was silence for a moment. Link looked at the bundle wrapped in the blanket beside him and thought he detected a hint of fear in those bright blue eyes of hers. Only the soft howling of the wind dared disturb the tense silence.

"What if we don't find a new Hyrule? What if all our efforts are for nothing?" She said at last.

Link smiled at her for encouragement. "We'll find it. I'm positive."

The pirate captain shook her head. She hugged her knees to her chest. "But how long have we been looking? A year? Maybe longer? And we still haven't found anything close."

The hero tilted his head to the side. "This is unlike you, Tetra. Where's that spark of confidence you always have?"

Tetra laughed to herself. "A captain's gotta look confident and decisive for her crew. To be honest, I wish I had more for myself."

Link began to shiver a little from the night wind. He wrapped his arms around his torso but smiled at her nonetheless. "Well, if it means anything, you're one of the bravest people I know. Brave enough to stand against Ganondorf. To fight that vicious bird. To explore the unknown in search of a new land we can call home."

The pirate captain winked at him. "Well, you're no coward yourself. How many can say they saved the world? Before the age of fourteen I might add."

The hero smiled bashfully, his cheeks colored with a hue of red. "Yah, I guess when you put it that way." He brought his own knees close to his chest to keep himself warm.

Tetra looked at him with concern. "Link, your lips are turning blue. Why didn't you say you were getting cold?"

He laughed the comment off. "Because I wanted you to keep the blanket."

Tetra rolled her eyes. "Always have to play the hero, don't you?" Tetra repositioned the blanket so she only occupied half of it. "Well, there's no reason we can't share it. It's plenty big enough."

The hero of winds looked at her hesitantly. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. It's not like you're sick or anything."

Link nodded and crawled over. As he wrapped himself with the other half of the blanket, his shoulder pressed gently against Tetra's. The two looked at each other and shared an awkward laugh. Though he would never say it, the warmth of her skin against his made him feel secure. As the hero closed his eyes and felt the soft expansion and contraction of her breathing pressing against his arm, he felt a strange tingle of excitement. The strange combination of salt and perfume emanating from her hair caught his nose and sent tickles down his spine. Whatever this feeling was…he liked it.

"Well, actually Tetra, I think I'm allergic to hard work." He said quickly to break the silence.

The pirate grunted jokingly. "Well, no surprise there. Sometimes I think you're lazier than Niko."

Link chuckled to himself. "Come on. I'm not that bad."

Tetra smirked at him. "I suppose not. At least you get your work done. There's still a pile of dirty clothes on the deck."

The hero whistled innocently. "Well, I did borrow his bucket for a bit. I guess he took an extended break."

The pirate rolled her eyes. "And he wonders why I make him watch the ship when we go into town."

The hero laughed. "He never learns."

Tetra smiled and closed her eyes to take in the moment. The hero smelled a lot like the ship mixed with a bit of soap, but she didn't mind. She even found it a bit cute. As the crash of the waves echoed softly in her ears, she unwittingly leaned closer into Link's side. The warmth of his touch made all of her fears and uncertainties seem a distant nightmare. As his arm wrapped around her shoulders, it felt only natural to rest her head on his shoulder. So comfortable.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked at the boy from Outset beside her. He stared pensively at the moon, as if lost in another world entirely.

"What ya' thinking about?" she asked.

Link laughed softly. "Not much, really. I was just looking at the moon. It's so peaceful."

"Oh yah?" she asked quietly.

The hero nodded. "Yah. It reminds me of a guy I met in my travels a while back. His name was Kamo. He used to stare at the moon all the time."

"That's weird. How come?"

Link closed his eyes as he tried to reach deep into the vaults of his memory. Tetra's soft hair brushed softly against his cheek, causing him to focus half-heartedly. "I don't really remember that well. Something to do with his best friend. Maybe she stole his bacon or something."

Tetra lifted her head to look at Link. "Wow. You certainly seem to meet strange people."

Link looked at her. "Like you?"

The captain smirked back. "It takes one to know one."

"Well, then I guess I know you pretty well," the hero replied.

Tetra grunted and rested her head on Link's shoulder again. The hero leaned his head against hers and there the two stayed in silence. He looked out to the moon and watched a few small clouds float lazily past the full moon. A clear night sky was always a sight to behold, and this night seemed even more dazzling than usual. As the hero closed his eyes and listened, he could hear Tetra's soft and steady breathing. Had she fallen asleep?

Link smiled to himself. Part of him just wanted to let her stay where she was, to prolong the moment for all it was worth. She looked so peaceful with her eyes closed and her breathing soft. The strong-willed captain that commanded the respect of crew members double her size was looked so peaceful and defenseless, even for a moment.

Link softly lifted his shoulder and ran his fingers through her hair. "Hey. Tetra."

The pirate woke up groggy and confused. "Wait? What?" She lifted her head off his shoulder and looked at him. Her eyes were only half-open. "Oh, it's you, Link. What happened?"

The hero couldn't hide his smile. "You fell asleep."

The words seemed to startle her awake. Her eyes widened and she jolted up. "Oh…I didn't mean to. Sorry about that." She pushed the blanket off her and stood up. She stretched her arms out and groaned from the stiffness of her body. "Well, I guess it's about time for me to turn in for the night."

The hero stayed where he was. "Yah, probably a good idea. You'll need rest for tomorrow. I don't think I have too much longer here anyways."

Tetra grabbed the top of the ladder and descended the first step. She smiled warmly at him. "Thanks for everything, Link. I don't think I've laughed this much in a while."

Link returned the smile. "Yah, me too. I had a blast. Who would've thought the night shift could be so much fun?"

The captain winked at him. "It's all about who you're with." She descended another step. "Well, I'm off. Don't fall asleep up there."

Link mock saluted. "Yes, Captain. I'll try not."

Her head dipped below the crow's nest and Link turned to grab his telescope. He was about to look through it when her face popped back up again.

"Oh, Link. I forgot to mention…nothing that happened tonight gets mentioned to the rest of the crew." Her eyes narrowed. "Understood?"

He turned towards her with a mischievous smirk. "What's the worst you can do to me?"

She tapped her temple as she thought for a moment. At last, a malevolent smile jumped on her lips. "Well, you can always go in the catapult again. I remember how much you _loved _that."

The hero's face grimaced as the painful memories cycled through his mind. "On second thought, maybe I won't say anything."

Tetra beamed triumphantly. "I knew you'd see it my way. I'll see you next time."

_Next time?_

Before the hero could ask what she meant, the pirate was already halfway way down the ladder. She didn't have to look up to imagine the priceless look of confusion that was probably plastered to that expressive face of his. She had already seen it many times before.

She reached the main deck and walked through the door into the cabin. She passed through the unguarded door to her room and slipped into her comfortable bed without even taking off her shoes. A smile crept on her lips as she reflected on earlier that night. It had gone so much better than expected. She pulled her covers over her and turned on her side. The blankets muffled her quiet chuckle.

She wondered how long it would take Link to figure out that she had stolen his telescope.


End file.
